Top products at 2015 IFT Food Expo Innovation Award

SEVERAL new products were entered for the 2015 IFT Food Expo Innovation Award, but four companies grabbed the attention of the jury.

(Photo: IFT)

IFT President-Elect Colin Dennis presented the awards to Aseptia Technologies, Corbion, Ecolab, and Parabel during the IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation.

“Now in its 9th year, the Food Expo Innovation awards program is a showcase for amazing advancements in our profession. Exclusive to companies exhibiting at the IFT15 Food Expo, these awards honor outstanding innovation in products, ingredients, technologies, instrumentation, equipment, and services that were commercially introduced since January 1st of 2014,” Mr Dennis said.

Microwave-assisted advanced thermal processing

Aseptia Technologies’s AseptiWave Modular Advanced Thermal Processing Systems won the 2015 IFT Food Expo Innovation Award. The recognition was given for the system’s use of microwave-assisted advanced thermal processing to deliver superior product quality for aseptically packaged foods and beverages.

The AseptiWave family of advanced thermal processing systems features a built-in, extensively and robustly tested scale-up strategy and controllability. It supports 2 to 4 gal/min pilot plant, 10 to 20 gal/min intermediate, and 20 to 40 gal/min high industrial throughput levels.

Enzyme for bread

Corbion was commended for its Ultra Fresh Premium Advantage Enzyme Blend. This bio-based enzyme reduces use of some ingredients such as added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and yeast in making bread. It also extends the freshness, taste, and flavor of bread by seven or more days.

The extended shelf life will enable bakers to broaden their geographical reach and expand to new outlets, including convenience, drug, and dollar stores. At the consumer level, this would mean reduced waste and less cost.

No need for water

Ecolab’s winning product is the DrySan Duo Two-Step, No-Rinse Cleaner & Sanitizer. Designed for dry and low-moisture processing environments, the cleaner eliminates the use of rinse water between cleaning and sanitizing to reduce cleaning time.

Ecolab plant trials indicate an average 30% decrease in total cleaning time with the use of DrySan Duo compared with traditional wet cleaning methods. Aerobic plate count and Enterobacteriacea test methods reveal equivalent performance between the two methods. 

Protein wonder

The LENTEIN Plant Protein from Parabel was recognized for its amino acid profile that is comparable to whey protein and higher essential amino acid and branched chain amino acid content compared with any other plant protein.

The highly digestible protein, which is derived from water lentils, contains 65% to 70% concentrated high-quality plant protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It is high in carotenoids and antioxidants, is highly dispersible, and has excellent foaming attributes. It is suitable for use in beverages, chips, crackers, and bars.

The four companies and their innovations were selected from 47 qualified entries based on degree of innovation, technical advancement, benefits to food manufacturers and consumers, and scientific merit. Judging was done by nine representatives from the industry, academe, and government with broad expertise in research and product development, processing and packaging technology, and food safety.